GL introduces shipboard routing assistance system

Germanischer Lloyd (GL) has introduced its Shipboard Routing Assistance System (SRA) to help ship officers react promptly to heavy weather and, when necessary, sail round it.

With SRA, the seaway data measured onboard are combined with the present loading information to permit the continuous recalculation of ship reactions in the waves. Through the systematic evaluation of waves, winds and currents and their effects on the vessel, potential risks can be detected in good time, so that adequate countermeasures can then be initiated if need be. In addition, shipmasters can use seaway data from weather forecasts for active route planning.

The information on the ship’s sea keeping performance is shown on a monitor integrated into the bridge console. To help prepare for the functional mode and operating sequences of the SRA, GL also provides a training version of the system.

Germanischer Lloyd developed the SRA navigational decision-making aid for the further improvement of ship safety in cooperation with the consulting firm AMARCON in the Netherlands.

Hapag-Lloyd plans to install SRA on several of its jumbo container ships starting with the 7,500 TEU Hamburg Express. Installation is also scheduled for the series of five 8,600 TEU container ship newbuildings currently under construction for the owner at Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea.